Scene on Grand Ave., East of Fourth St., Beloit, Wis.

Undated. From Chlora Walters to Miss Lula Morris, Monroe.

The picture

A wide paved stretch of Grand Avenue: three yellow streetcars at the curb and in the middle distance, an open touring car in the left foreground, two closed automobiles coming toward the viewer at center, a horse-drawn wagon at right; commercial blocks on both sides, one with a turret and an American flag on a pole on its roof.

• Printed caption: Scene on Grand Ave., East of Fourth St., Beloit, Wis.
• Printing: white border · color
• Condition: light soiling on the border; corner wear

The back

• Layout: divided back (message at left, address at right)
• Printed: 18260 · Post Card · ADDRESS
• Stamp box: E C N Co (in the corners) PLACE STAMP HERE DOMESTIC ONE CENT FOREIGN TWO CENTS
• Condition: light toning; a few small spots; faint grey smudges above the stamp box

Exact copy

Line for line as written. [?] follows an uncertain word; [illegible] marks one that cannot be read; ~~ ~~ is crossed out, ^ ^ written above the line, […] runs off the card.

Message (back of the card, left half, message space; the last line runs off the bottom edge):

Dear friend Lula:
Just a line to
let you know I
haven't forgotten
you. Am very busy
now. Monday the
"Hill" is going to
have a big free
"picnic". All kinds
of attractions, and
pavement dance,
"daddy Long Legs" and
vaudeville in eve.
Can write a big letter

Message (back of the card, left edge of the card, continuing the message and giving the sender's address, written sideways up the left margin, reading bottom to top):

after that. haha.
Chlora Walters
1274[?] Dewey
Beloit Wis.
ans.

Address:

Miss Lula Morris,
910? East St,
Monroe, Wis.

A later hand (pencil price, '$4' with raised '00', lower right, below the address): $4⁰⁰

Reading version

The message joined into sentences, the spelling lightly modernized only where it helps; uncertain words keep their marks.

Dear friend Lula: Just a line to let you know I haven't forgotten you. Am very busy now. Monday the "Hill" is going to have a big free "picnic". All kinds of attractions, and pavement dance, "daddy Long Legs" and vaudeville in eve. Can write a big letter after that. Haha. Chlora Walters, 1274[?] Dewey, Beloit, Wis. Ans.

Who

• Miss Lula Morris — recipient, 910 East St, Monroe, Wis.
• Chlora Walters — sender, 1274[?] Dewey, Beloit, Wis.

When

How	Date	Basis
card-features	after 1907-03-01	divided back: allowed in the US from 1 Mar. 1907
card-features	after 1915 to before 1930	white-border era (about 1915 to 1930)

The readings

Part	Status	Readers
caption	all agree	claude, gemini, gpt
address	all agree	claude, gemini, gpt
message	majority	claude, gemini, gpt
signature	in message	claude

Uncertain readings:

• address, line 2: 910? East St (or 910 East St, 910½ East St) — the house number is followed by a mark like a raised '?' or a small superscript; it is copied as written
• side block, line 3: 1274[?] Dewey (or 127½ Dewey, 127 Dewey) — a small raised figure after '127', read as 4 but it could be a fraction
• side block, last line: ans. (or Ans.) — likely a request to answer; written small beneath 'Beloit Wis.'
• message, line 11: pavement (or Pavement) — the first letter has an extra flourish, as if a capital was written over a small letter

Reader's note: The card was written and addressed but carries no stamp and no postmark, so it was not mailed as a card on its own (perhaps enclosed in a letter or delivered by hand). The writer describes a coming event: on Monday 'the "Hill"' is holding a big free picnic with a pavement dance, '"daddy Long Legs"' and vaudeville in the evening. The card does not say which hill is meant.

Scans: Scene on Grand Ave., East of Fourth St., Beloit, Wis. - 01.png and Scene on Grand Ave., East of Fourth St., Beloit, Wis. - 02.png (sha256 dfa530630537…, 9b8363c82c0e…). Media: front — the scan, byte for byte; back — the scan, byte for byte